Stormy Hart
by Hattie J Huper
Summary: Jennifer is not happy. She was supposed to be appearing in a play at the local town hall but Jonathan won't drive her over there as a storm is approaching. Jennifer is very upset with him but things could be worse as she soon finds out


Jonathan took up the poker and leaned forward to stoke up the fire. Already he could hear gusts of wind whistling around the house slamming shutters and scraping branches off the window panes.

Jennifer glared at him from under her lashes.  
"I would have driven myself." She said at last.

"That would have been even worse. Jennifer I have no problem dropping you off at the town hall or anywhere else you want to go but you may have been stranded there."

Jennifer threw her hands up in frustration.  
"Jonathan, they've been saying all week theres going to be a massive storm, all we've seen so far is a bracing wind. That play was important to me, it was the first time I had a leading role. I've let them all down now. Well thank you very much. "

Jonathan looked at her with compassion in his eyes.  
"I'm sorry my love. I know you were excited about it. Its just... Jen I just have a real bad feeling."

She folded her arms and looked away from him.

"Why dont I make us up a cup of hot chocolate and we can roast marshmallows and watch a film, any film you want."

"No, I'm going to bed." Jennifer got to her feet.  
"I appreciate what you are trying to do but that play meant a lot to me Jonathan. I'm going to bed."

Jonathan frowned as he watched her walk slowly up the stairs. He couldn't blame her really, it was just gusting outside. Maybe he should have driven her over there. But still there was that feeling. It wasn't even like a thought in his mind it was as if it was in the air all around him, like a bad energy.

Jennifer got into her silk night dress. Tears of anger stung at her eyes. She had worked so hard for that role. She was to play Maria, they had such fun in rehearsals. The young children playing the VonTrap family singers had gotten on so well with her there had been a real chemistry there. And her scene with the Reverend Mother it had been so beautiful. Now no one would see it. Jennifer lay down on the bed and just let tears spill from her eyes. It was just so unfair, she worked so hard on that damn play.

Jonathan wasn't a big drinker but this night he trudged down to the basement and brought up a bottle of wine. He then went to the kitchen to find a cork screw.

Soon he was sitting alone in the living room, glass in one hand and tv remote in the other.  
He found a bag of pretzels way back in the cupboard and had them for his supper.

"We are so much in love Zack you are just like my soul mate."

Jonathan pulled a face as he changed the channel. There was such rubbish on at night. He found an episode of Quincy and left it on.

Quincy was ranting away at a football coach about a kid who needs to give up football for health reasons.

"See that guy Quincy, he's gonna give himself an aneurysm," Jonathan muttered as he threw Freeway a pretzel.  
"He's too up on his job Freeway. Ye have to strike a balance,"

Freeway bounced on the spot and wagged his tail glad to be the centre of attention with his favourite person.

Jonathan took another swig from his glass.  
"I should have brought her to the play Freeway. She supports me in everything I do, I should have brought her to that damn play."

He looked down at his hands and wiped at a smudge on the glass as he spoke.  
"I hate to see her sad like that. Shes just everything that's right in my life."

Freeway gave a little whine.

Jonathan nodded. "I know Freeway, it's the drink talking. Feel free not to listen."

Jonathan looked up as suddenly everything went dark.

"Ugh, that's our fun over for the night boy looks like there's a power cut."  
Jonathan got stiffly to his feet.

"Come on boy, we may as well lock up and head to bed. Do you want to go out?. You may as well. It's a long night without a bathroom break."

Jonathan groped his way over to the front door Freeway bounding excitedly at his feet. Jonathan reached up and unbolted the door.

"Don't be long Freeway." He muttered.

The door was violently flung open by a massive surge of wind. Jonathan was thrown backwards by the force. He landed on the floor and stared up in disbelief at the raging storm throwing branches and debris in through the front door.

"Jesus," he muttered under his breath.

Freeway ran forward barking at the strange force invading his garden.

"Freeway NO!" Jonathan scrambled to his feet as the dog skidded on the wooden floor and ran outside. Jonathan followed him. He staggered through the raging wind holding a hand up to his face as he slowly made his way across the yard. Bits of bark and twig and litter got him in the face as he walked but eventually he found the dog. Having done his business Freeway was too afraid to make the journey back to the front door.

"Its ok boy." Jonathan bent low and picked him up. Carefully he staggered back towards the house cradling the frightened dog in his arms. They had just made it to the porch when Jonathan noticed the door of his shed. It was open and banging back and forth in the wind. Jonathan put Freeway down on the welcome mat and tapped his bottom to urge the dog into the house. Freeway went in expecting Jonathan to follow but his master closed the door keeping him safely inside

Jonathan then staggered back out into the yard. He walked slowly as the driving rain tore at his face and stung his eyes. His pants and sweater were drenched through by the time he made it to the shed. He took hold of the door as it slammed outwards once again. He tried to slam it shut but the door suddenly came off its hinges. It flew upwards smacking Jonathan hard on the forehead. He staggered backwards and landed badly on his right arm. He whined in pain as he tried to right himself. He found he couldn't get back up. The pain radiating upwards to his shoulder was immense and the knock to his head was sending trickles of blood down into his right eye.

He made one last ditch effort to get back to his feet but it was too much for him. He fell to his knees and slumped to the ground as the world around him turned black.

Jennifer woke up nearly an hour later. She was surprised everything around her was dark, she usually slept with a small lamp on. She wasn't afraid of the dark she just didn't like it. Jonathan always laughed when she said that. Where was Jonathan?

She was suddenly aware of the roar of the wind outside. It seemed to shake the very foundations of the house. She could hear Freeway barking downstairs. She hauled herself up and grabbed her robe from the back of the door Jonathan must have fallen asleep in front of the television again. She soon found that none of the lights were working. She carefully made her way downstairs.

"Jonathan,"

She stopped at the bottem of the stairs and looked around. Freeway was looking up at her. She could not properly see his anxious face in the dark.

"Jonathan," she called out a little more desperately.

She found her way into the kitchen and rummaging through a drawer she found the torch they always kept there. She went back to the living room and shone the torch into all the darkest corners. A flash of lightening spooked Freeway and he started barking again.

Panic began to creep around Jennifers heart. Did he go out; was he stranded somewhere?. She suddenly let out a breath and allowed herself a grin of relief. Of course, he was in the spare bedroom. He didn't want to wake her.

She felt bad now, he was right about that storm. The way it rattled around the house in violent gusts, she was glad she wasn't out in that. She went to the kitchen and brought back with her a bottle of wine and two glasses. She set them down on the coffee table and began stoking up the fire. They would have their romantic evening albeit a little late.

She stood at the foot of the stair case and called out to him.

"Jonathan, oh Jonathan."

There was no answer. The smile fell slowly from her lips. There was an unsettling silence about the house disturbed only by the raging wind outside. It felt wrong.

She was about to go up when Freeway began barking again. He turned in circles and barked aggressively trying to get her attention.

"Freeway, what is it?" She bent down to ruffle his fur and reassure him.

As she came back up she glimpsed something out the small side window. The emergency flood light had since come on and it illuminated everything on the muddy ground below it. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the sight of a familiar green sweater.

"Oh my God."

She tore out of the house. The blast of wind that met her was like a solid wall and tried to throw her off her feet but she steadied herself and pushed slowly towards him.

She dropped to his side and put a trembling hand to his face. He was deathly cold and wet through, strands of dark hair plastered against his bloodied face.

"Oh God Jonathan."

There was no time for sentiment she knew she had to get him inside. She took hold of his sweater and shirt and began dragging him towards the porch.

The wind roared in her ears, twigs snapped at her face but still she dragged him relentlessly moving towards the house.

She got him as far as the porch but could not bring him up on to it. His belt was catching on the step. As tired as she was she couldn't clearly see the problem.

"Oh please." She cried out as tears of desperation tracked tiny rivers of grime down her face.

Finally with one last mighty pull she managed it, she brought him up over the threshold. Quickly she dragged him inside and with some effort shut and bolted the door. The wind roared outside as if angry she had taken back its victim.

Once the door was shut she crumpled to the ground. She put a hand to her face and for a moment she allowed herself to cry out her shock.

She took a breath then and got to her feet. She quickly swiped at the tears on her face, took hold and brought Jonathan over to the warmth of the fire. It was easier to bring him across the wooden floor but she had little time to reflect on that. By the light of the flames she could now see he had a nasty gash to his forehead, and a dark swelling around his right eye.

She quickly snatched up the torch from the floor and ran to the phone. Jennifer cursed under her breath as there was no dial tone,

She should have known. He was so right about this storm. She looked down at his body lying so still by the fire. She then turned and ran up the stairs to their bedroom. She grabbed down a pair of pyjamas, shoe boxes and shirts fell at her feet as she rummaged around and were left in a heap where they fell. She ran to grab the douvet from their bed.

She then began stripping off his wet clothes. Freeway looked on anxiously. She had his sweater off over his head and was just unbuttoning his shirt when she froze in her work. She put her hand gently to his shoulder noting the dark blue and green mass of swelling there. She took his shirt off carefully and shone the torch at it to get a better look. The shoulder was obviously broken. Tears glistened in her eyes as she ran a gentle hand through his hair

"Don't worry sweetheart, we'll get you all fixed up. You're gonna be fine." She whispered.

She washed him down with warm water as best she could and began carefully putting on his pyjamas. She then put his arm in a makeshift sling and put a clean dressing over the angry gash to his forehead. She then pulled the douvet around him for warmth.

"No Freeway, come here." She called to him.

The frightened dog came to her side and she put an arm around him. They both listened in silence as the wind howled around the house and battered the trees outside. With every violent gust they moved a little closer to eachother.

Then suddenly there was a massive crash overhead.  
Jennifer quickly threw herself over Jonathan's body to shield him. Long seconds ticked by as she waited, she grapped hold of Freeways color and pulled him under too. She then realised that the roof wasn't about to fall in on their heads.  
A window must have crashed out upstairs.

They were safe. Jennifer nodded with relief. They were safe

She looked down at Jonathan.

"I've done everything I can think of Jonathan." She said with a slight hitch to her voice. She tried to smile.

"You would have been proud of me."

Her bottom lip began to tremble. She put hands up to swipe at her tears but it was all proving too much. She lay her head down on his chest and began to cry in earnest. Terror and exhaustion had taken hold and she could no longer hold back the well of emotion building inside of her.

"I am proud of you."

She looked up through tear stained eyes.

"I've never been so proud." His voice faltered as he slowly raised a hand to stroke her hair.

"Jonathan," she put arms around him and gently kissed the side of his face.

They both looked up as lights could be seen as a vehicle pulled into the drive.

Help had come at last.

The End.


End file.
